188 | Supreme Court

in

In the middle of the epic prorogation battle at the Supreme Court, we ask what's at stake: for the government, for Brexit, for the constitution and for democracy. Is this a case of legal precedent, common law practice or higher constitutional principle? Is the UK constitution becoming more European in the act of leaving the EU? And what are the things lawyers on neither side can say? Plus we ask how Jo Swinson's case for revoking article 50 is going and we discuss whether we could really have a 2nd referendum without another general election. A packed episode! With Catherine Barnard, Helen Thompson and Chris Bickerton.

160 | A Mockery of Democracy?

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Are the UK's looming European elections making a mockery of democracy, or is this how democracy is meant to work?  Would cancelling them at the last minute make the situation worse?  We talk about trust in politics, the threat to the two main parties, and the knock-on effects for the rest of Europe.  Plus we discuss what can meaningfully happen before the end of October, and whether the events of the last few weeks have done permanent damage to the Tory brand.  With Helen Thompson, Catherine Barnard and Chris Bickerton.

154 | May Rolls the Dice

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David and Helen talk through the latest twist in the Brexit tale: Theresa May's offer to work with Labour to get some version of Brexit over the line.  Can the two parties ever agree on what that version is?  Could any agreement be made to stick?  And if they can't agree, what happens next?  Plus we talk about whether May's offer to stand down is still in effect and we ask what all this might mean for the ERG, the DUP, the SNP and the EU.

148 | The Party Splits

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We discuss the challenge posed by the Independent Group and by Tom Watson inside Labour to conventional two party-politics in Britain.  Can the system hold together?  If not, what might replace it?  And where are the new ideas going to come from?  Plus we talk about what the ERG wants on the Tory side: is it simply Boris?  With Helen Thompson and Mike Kenny.

122 | How Bad Could it Get?

in

As crunch time approaches, we talk through some worst-case Brexit scenarios: for the government, for the economy, for Remainers, for Europe.  Have the negotiations been a humiliation for Britain?  Is the Tory Party facing an existential crisis?  And what might go wrong if the marchers for a 'people's vote' got their way?  Plus we speculate about what a no-deal Brexit would mean for Britain's service economy.  With Diane Coyle, Helen Thompson and Chris Bickerton.

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114 | Labour's Fault Lines

in

Summer's over: politics is back!  This week we return to the mystery inside the enigma that is Brexit to ask where Labour now stands.  What is the big divide in the Labour movement: Is it MPs vs leader? Members vs voters?  Young vs old?  And what could a second referendum achieve anyway?  Plus we try to make sense of the fraught fight over the definition of anti-Semitism.  With Helen Thompson, Chris Bickerton and Waseem Yaqoob.